On Monday morning, at a press conference organised by the BNS news agency, party Chairwoman Vilija Blinkevičiūtė received questions about the doubts sown on Sunday night about the premiership and the future ruling coalition.
Questions on the coalition
The leader of the Social Democrats, Blinkevičiūtė, said that the Social Democrats had achieved „a historic victory in these elections, which has not been seen for several decades“.
On Sunday evening, Blinkevičiūtė made it clear that the Social Democrats would form the ruling coalition together with the Democratic Union Vardan Lietuvos (In the Name of Lithuania), but the same clarity was not present regarding the Union of Lithuanian Peasants and Greens (LVŽS).
However, on Monday, Blinkevičiūtė assured that consultations on a possible ruling coalition would be held with both parties, although there was no final decision.
„Our goal has always been to form a strong coalition of three parties that have received confidence. Yesterday, we met with both the Democrats and the Peasants – this is a consultation,“ she said.
Blinkevičiūtė pointed out that the negotiating groups are starting discussions, and the final decision on with whom the Social Democrats will form a ruling majority will be taken by the party's Presidium and Council. The party's Presidium is meeting this week, while the Council will not meet until next week.
According to the Social Democrats' President, there was no talk at that time of a ruling coalition with the Liberal Movement.
At the same time, noting that there was still uncertainty as to whether the leader of the Peasants, Ramūnas Karbauskis, and the Chairman of the Democrats, Saulius Skvernelis, would be able to work together in the ruling coalition, Blinkevičiūtė explained this by the election period.
„I have always thought that in politics, it is already like that – one political rhetoric is before the elections, the other is after the elections when it is necessary to face reality and work for the benefit of the people. We will wait for the final decisions from the Lithuanian Peasant and Green Union and Vardan Lietuvos, as well as their decisions and red lines,“ she said.
In addition, according to Ms Blinkevičiūtė, consultations on the ruling coalition are also taking place with individual elected members of the Seimas – the party Chairwoman indicated that she is aiming for the most substantial possible ruling majority.
Doubts about the premiership
The Social Democrat leader was also questioned about the premiership, as she did not give a clear answer on Sunday night or Monday morning.
„I can say 100% that together with the President of Lithuania, I will form the Government. And there will be no other answer,“ the party leader again did not reply.
Noting that such a toss-up, when one day Blinkevičiūtė speaks confidently about the premiership one day and does not speak again the next day, is harmful to her because she seems to be unstable in her opinion, the politician assured that she considers it normal.
„Everyone can assess how they feel, but I think the most important thing is that people cast their votes for the Social Democrats. And I want to stress once again that the Social Democratic Party has never been and will never be a party of one person.
I will never believe that people vote for any one person because the party has never been that.
Everything is normal for me. Absolutely all the circumstances will be weighed, everything will be assessed, and then a decision will be taken in our Presidium and Council“, – explained her position.
Reacted to Landsbergis' news
Blinkevičiūtė was also asked about Gabrielius Landsbergis's decision to resign as Chairman of the Conservatives.
„There could not have been any other decision, as the party's defeat in the elections is apparent. And for him personally, where no one believed that he would lose resoundingly in Kaunas Žaliakalnis.
He took that responsibility, perhaps a little late, because there had been elections before, where decisions could have been made,“ noted Blinkevičiūtė.
What do the results look like?
According to data from the Chief Electoral Commission, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) has won the elections and will have 52 seats in the Seimas in the next term. The Social Democrats currently have 14 seats in the outgoing Seimas.
The current ruling party, the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), won 28 seats and 50 seats in the Seimas in the last elections.
Remigijus Žemaitaitis's party Nemuno Aušra (Dawn of Nemunas) won 20 seats in Seimas.
The Democratic Union Vardan Lietuvos (In the Name of Lithuania) came fourth with 14 seats. The group currently has 16 seats in the Seimas.
According to initial data, the Liberals Sąjūdis, which belongs to the ruling coalition, will have 12 seats in the next Seimas. The Liberals have the same number of seats in this Seimas.
The Lithuanian Peasant and Greens Union (LVŽS) has eight seats. It won 32 seats in the last elections, but the Democratic Union, led by Sauliaus Skvernelis, split from the party.
The Union of Christian Families of the Lithuanian Poles' Electoral Action (LLRA-KŠS) will have three seats in the new Seimas. The party received the same number of seats in the 2020 elections.
Self-nominated candidates won two seats – Vitalijus Šersniovas, who won in the Utena constituency, and Viktoras Fiodorovas, who won in the first round in Kėdainiai.
The Freedom and Justice party won one seat, as its leader, Artūras Zuokas, was elected in the Naujininkai-Rasos single-mandate constituency. Vytautas Sinica, leader of the National Unity, also won one seat.
The other parties that participated in the elections did not win any seats. This includes the Party of Freedom, which is in the ruling majority and had ten seats in the last elections.
